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News flash: Lord Balarama appears in Sydney Australia.

Vaishnavas celebrate the full moon day of Shravan month (August-September) as the appearance day of Lord Balarama. It falls exactly eight days before the appearance of Lord Sri Krishna.

Sri Balarama Jayanti is celebrated as a mark of advent of Balarama who is the elder brother of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Balarama was the seventh child of Vasudeva and Devaki who were confined to prison by the evil king Kamsa. Kamsa killed six children of Devaki and the seventh child was transferred miraculously from Devaki’s womb to the womb of Rohini, who desired a child of her own. Balarama is also called as Sankarsana which describes the transfer of the child from one womb to another. The child was named Rama, but because of the child’s strength he was called Balarama (Strong Rama), Baladeva or Balabhadra.

Balarama spent his childhood as a cowherd boy with his brother Krishna and friends. He killed several demons like Dhenakasura. Balarama’s chief weapon is ploughshare (hal). He is also called as ‘Haldhari’. He is also considered as the Lord of agriculture. Balarama likes honey very much, and on the festival day a special beverage called Varuni is made from milk and honey.

Please join us in celebrating the special occasion of Balarama Jayanti: The Divine Appearance of Lord Balarama at Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Mandir, in Sydney, on Tuesday 24th August, 2010. (fast till noon)

The festival starts from 6pm. This is also the last day of Jhulan Yatra.